


A New Friend

by Esdeem



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F, Pets, SAO Pride Week 2019, YuuAsu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 00:06:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18418706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esdeem/pseuds/Esdeem
Summary: Set in the Reconfiguration AU. It takes a lot to put Asuna and Yuuki at odds. But when one of them sees an S-rank ingredient where the other sees a new friend, things can get awkward.





	A New Friend

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the future of the Reconfiguration AU, though I've done my best to remove anything that might spoil any of that story's future reveals. If you're not familiar with Reconfiguration, the most bare bones explanation is that it's an AU where Yuuki is trapped in Sword Art Online and meets Asuna fairly early on. 
> 
> This story in particular comes from an idea I had for Reconfiguration but I'm not quite sure it has a place in the story now. It DOES fit the Day Three theme for the SAO Pride Week, however, and I decided to give it a shot. This is very much a first draft, so I'm also reserving the right to come back later and revise it. Please forgive any typos and the story a little sketchier than usual!

It started innocently enough.

Asuna had spent most of the morning in the fields and dungeons of the highest open floors of Aincrad alongside a collection of guild mates and close allies. With the next boss raid in the early planning stages, she’d wanted to gain another level and upgradesome of her gear. Parting ways with her companions, she made her way to Hippolyta’s item shop to trade in the raw materials and extra gear for much needed col.

She’d been in the middle of bartering with her friend when the door flung open. Yuuki darted inside, gasping for breath. Asuna felt a rush of panic at the dramatic entrance. However, it faded when she saw the broad smile on Yuuki’s face, more radiant than usual. One arm hung behind her back, as though hiding something.

“You scared me half to death, Yuuki! What’s going on?”

“Only the most amazing thing ever! You’ll never believe what I just found!”

Asuna’s mind went into overdrive. A powerful item drop from a rare mob? No, the young warrior had never gotten excited over equipment. It couldn’t have been the boss room, for she wasn’t part of the scouting party currently in the labyrinth. Could it be something like the Elf Gate that allowed the NPC race to travel effortlessly between floors?

Yuuki thrust her arms forward. She held in her hands a tiny creature covered in lilac colored fur. Long, thin ears hung down over its face, almost hiding its vibrant purple eyes. Somehow, it remained calm in Yuuki’s hands and looked up to Asuna and offered her a gentle squeak.

“Is that… a Ragout Rabbit?”

“Yeah! Isn’t she cute?”

“I’ve never even seen one before.” Asuna stared at the cursor over its head. Curiously, it was the same green color as those above players. “This is an S-rank ingredient! I bet even Hippolyta would pay good money for it. Of course, I have my cooking skill maxed out, so I could actually prepare a meal with it if you wanted. I’d be willing to…”

Asuna trailed off as she looked up to Yuuki, whose eyes were wide in shock. She took a step back, pulled the tiny rabbit back against her chest.

“Her name is Ms. Fuzzy Binkybeans, and she’s a friend! Not food!”

The fencer blinked. “Yuuki, you’re not a beast tamer. How do you expect to—”

“I can’t believe you, Asuna! I’m not going to stay here and let you try to talk me into making my bunny into a stew.”

“Yuuki, wait—”

But she wouldn’t hear another word and stormed out of the item shop.

Hippolyta broke the awkward silence left in her wake. “You probably don’t need me to tell you how poorly that went, right?

* * *

“…and that’s why Yuuki hasn’t spoken to me since yesterday.”

The pink haired blacksmith sitting on the opposite side of the table stared at her with narrowed eyes. “And you’re surprised by this? You threatened to turn her new baby into stew. Pretty sure that’s straight out of an American thriller movie.”

Asuna leaned back in her chair. “I know. I screwed up. But every time I walk into the common room of the guild house, she picks up the rabbit and leaves without a word.  How am I supposed to fix it when she won’t give me a chance?”

“She’s probably worried you’re just going to tell her she’s wrong and leave it at that.” Lisbeth shrugged. “Dunno if you’ve noticed this, but you can be a little intense at times. Pretty stubborn too.”

“I’m so glad I asked you for help. You always make me feel so good.”

“I’m not teasing you.” Lisbeth took a sip of her tea. “Okay, I’m not _just_ teasing you. People look up to you here because you’re decisive and determined. If anyone’s ever uncertain of what to do when facing a boss, you know the right course. But that almost makes you pretty intimidating.”

“Even to Yuuki?”

“Especially to Yuuki.” Lisbeth struggled to keep from rolling her eyes. _She really doesn’t get it yet, does she?_ “She thinks the world of you. Then she finds something she was really excited about, and you shut her down.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Asuna’s shoulders slumped. “Besides, it’s just a rabbit.”

“Yuuki’s been fighting harder than anyone in Aincrad. If that little bunny brings her some joy, what’s the big deal?”

“Okay, okay. You have a point.” She sighed. “If she’d actually talk to me, I’d apologize.”

Lisbeth sighed, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Guess I gotta do everything. I’ll talk to Yuuki, but you want my advice? I’d bribe her with food, like her favorite snack. And just… trying talking to her.”

“I’ll try. Hopefully she’ll listen…”

Lisbeth nodded as she finished her tea. _Good grief, the two of you are both so oblivious._  
  
-===-  
  
Yuuki sat on the couch in the living room of the guild house, the Ragout Rabbit happily munching away on a carrot. She looked up when the wrong door opened and saw Asuna enter the room. She made her way to the couch and sat down on one end. Yuuki scooped up the bunny, but only scooted to the opposite end rather than leaving the room entirely. Silence hung between them for a handful of painfully long seconds.

Asuna finally cleared her throat. “Sorry I was a jerk.”

Yuuki scratching the rabbit behind one ear. “Yeah, you kinda were.”

“It’s just…” She sighed. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to see beyond what needs to be done in the moment. Prepping for the boss raids, exploring the labyrinths, doing what’s best for our guild. There are days when escaping is all I can think about.”

“We all want to go home, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to lose sight of what’s important.” Her eyes met Yuuki’s. “I… you’re a good friend, Yuuki. Sometimes I worry I don’t deserve you—”

“That’s not true!” Yuuki shot back. “Meeting you has been one of my happiest memories. I just wish you’d let yourself be a little more happy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you want to help everyone get home. But it can be kinda scary how little you care about anything else.” She took in a deep breath, then looked over to her friend. “I miss seeing your smile.”

“It’s… hard to find it sometimes.”

“There are times when I don’t feel like smiling either, but I make myself do it anyway. If I keep it up, I’ll find something that makes it stay there!”

The fencer scooted a little closer. “Does the bunny… um… Ms. Fluffy Blinky—”

“Fuzzy Binkybeans.”

“Does she help?”

Yuuki flashed her a smile and nodded. “I couldn’t have pets back home, I got sick too easy. But I always wanted a rabbit of my own. I used to watch videos of them all the time.”

Asuna moved in closer. “And she’s not scared of you?”

“No. I saw her in the field yesterday and she didn’t run away from me, so I gave her a carrot I had in my inventory. She really liked it and crawled right into my lap.”

“Huh.” Asuna gave the little creature a curious look, then turned to Yuuki. “Do you… think she’d mind if I petted her?”

“Let her sniff your hand first.”

Asuna nodded and held her fingers out to the rabbit. She approached, sniffed them. Deciding Asuna was okay, the rabbit licked her fingertips.

“She likes me!”

“She’s a good judge of character,” Yuuki said. A soft smile crossed her lips while her cheeks flushed. “There’s that smile I missed.”

They were sitting next to each other now, the rabbit stretched out across them both. “Would it be okay if I called her Beans for short?”  
Yuuki giggled. “That’s a cute name.”

Beans looked up at Asuna and tilted her head. Then, without warning, the little rabbit jumped into the air, twisting her body before flopping down across both their legs. Asuna stared in a panic.  
“Is she okay?”

“That’s a binky. It means she’s happy.”

Asuna responded first with a contented sigh. “She’s not the only one.”

“No, she’s not.”

“Hey Yuuki? If I’m ever being a jerk again, call me out on it, okay? I don’t want to make you unhappy again.”

“And I’ll talk to you instead of running away. Deal?”

“Deal.”

They sat, petting Beans a moment. Asuna wasn’t sure how much time went by before a message from Argo popped up in front of her. Asuna called up the menu but, instead of opening the message, went to the settings and activate her Do Not Disturb.

“What if that was something important?” Yuuki asked.

“Maybe someone convinced me spending time with a friend is important too.”

* * *

Lisbeth walked into the guild house that night to find the lights still on in the common room. Yuuki had fallen asleep with her head nestled into the crook of Asuna’s neck, the fencer’s armed draped over her. Beans the Rabbit sat between them, sleeping just as happily as the two girls. Lisbeth pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over the two of them before moving off to her room.

“Seriously you two,” she whispered with a smile, then left them. Maybe one day they’d both figure out what everyone else already knew.


End file.
